Tanzania · Northern Circuit
Tanzania Safari Lodges and Camps
Mawe Lodges owns and operates five luxury Tanzania safari lodges and camps across the Northern Circuit, and we have done so since 2014. Our properties cover the central Serengeti, the Mara River in the north, the Ndutu plains in the south, Tarangire National Park, and the Karatu highlands beside Ngorongoro Crater.
We are not a booking agent. Our own teams run every camp, our own guides drive our own vehicles, and every rate on this page comes directly from us. Below you will find each property, what it costs per night, and honest guidance on which one suits your dates.
our tanzania safari lodges & camps
Central Serengeti, Soit Le Motonyi
Mawe Tented Camp
Resident big cats in the central Serengeti, every month of the year
10 tents · Year-round · From $182 pp
Northern Serengeti, Kogatende
Gnu Mara River Camp
The Mara River crossings, June to mid-November
10 tents · 1 Jun – 15 Nov · From $262 pp
Southern Serengeti, Ndutu
Gnu Ndutu Camp
Calving season on the southern plains, December to March
10 tents · Late Dec – 31 Mar · From $262 pp
Inside Tarangire National Park
Baobab Tented Camp
Inside Tarangire, where the elephant herds move
10 tents · Year-round · From $182 pp
Karatu, Rift Valley
Karatu Tented Lodge
Thirty minutes from Ngorongoro Crater, with a pool
10 cottages tents · Year-round · From $101 pp
Which of Our Tanzania Safari Camps Fits Your Trip
Most people choose a camp by park. We would rather you chose by month, because the wildlife moves and the parks do not.
Mawe Tented Camp
Park
Central Serengeti
Tents
10
Open
All year
From
$182 pp
Best for
Fixed dates, resident cats
Airstrip
Seronera
Gnu Mara River Camp
Park
Northern Serengeti
Tents
10
Open
1 Jun – 15 Nov
From
$262 pp
Best for
River crossings
Airstrip
Kogatende
Gnu Ndutu Camp
Park
Southern Serengeti
Tents
10
Open
Late Dec – 31 Mar
From
$262 pp
Best for
Calving season
Airstrip
Ndutu
Baobab Tented Camp
Park
Tarangire
Tents
10
Open
All year
From
$182 pp
Best for
Elephants, night drives
Airstrip
Kuro
Karatu Tented Lodge
Park
Karatu
Tents
10 cottages
Open
All year
From
$101 pp
Best for
Ngorongoro, Manyara, Eyasi
Airstrip
Lake Manyara
Guidance
If your travel dates are fixed
Book the central Serengeti. The Seronera region holds lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants and buffalo in every month of the year, so your sightings do not depend on where the herds happen to be. Mawe Tented Camp faces the Ngarenanyuki River in the Soit Le Motonyi area, and animals come to that water daily.
If you are coming for the river crossings
You need to travel between July and October, and you need to be near Kogatende. Gnu Mara River Camp opens on 1 June and closes on 15 November. From camp, our guides reach the crossing points in forty to forty-five minutes.
We will not promise you a crossing. Nobody honest will. The herds gather at the bank, wait, and sometimes turn away for no reason anyone can see. Three nights in season gives you very good odds, and our guides track where the herds mass each morning.
If you are coming for the calving season
Travel between the second week of December and the end of March, and stay at Gnu Ndutu Camp on the southern plains. Roughly eight thousand wildebeest calves are born each day at the peak. Predators follow, so this is the strongest window of the year for lion, cheetah and hyena activity.
If you are travelling with children
All five properties take families. Mawe Tented Camp has three family tents, Gnu Mara River and Gnu Ndutu have two each, and Baobab has one that sleeps up to five. Karatu Tented Lodge has a swimming pool, which matters more than parents expect on a long driving route.
Tell us the ages of your children when you enquire. Four of our five properties are unfenced, and we will give you a straight answer about whether that suits your family.
If this is your first safari
Combine Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the central Serengeti. Baobab Tented Camp, Karatu Tented Lodge and Mawe Tented Camp cover that route between them, and one booking with us links all three.
Luxury Safari Camps and Lodges: What the Terms Mean
The words get used loosely across the industry, and the difference affects what your night actually looks like.
Permanent lodges
A lodge is built from solid materials and stays in place all year. Rooms are cottages or suites, and the property usually has a pool, gardens and a central restaurant building. Karatu Tented Lodge is our lodge, with ten cottages, extensive gardens and a pool above the Rift Valley farmland.
Semi-permanent tented camps
A tented camp uses canvas rooms on raised platforms or solid floors, with proper beds, en-suite bathrooms and full power. The camp stays in one location, though the structures can be dismantled. Mawe Tented Camp and Baobab Tented Camp both work this way, and both operate year-round.
Canvas walls matter more than people expect. You hear the park at night, which is the reason most guests give for choosing a camp over a lodge.
The Standard
What makes a tented camp a luxury tented camp
The term means very little on its own, so here is what it means at our camps. Every tent has an en-suite bathroom with a flush toilet and a hot shower. Solar power runs lighting and charging points twenty-four hours a day. Beds are real beds with mosquito nets, not camp cots.
Your rate is full board, and dinner is served at the table with a choice of dishes. Housekeeping comes daily and laundry is available. After dark, a member of staff walks you between the mess tent and your tent, because none of our camps inside the parks are fenced.
Our camps hold eight to ten tents. Baobab takes a maximum of thirty-five guests when every tent is full, and fifteen staff work there. That ratio is the part you notice.
How Much Do Luxury Tanzania Safari Lodges Cost Per Night
Our rates run from $101 to $350 per person per night, full board. We publish them in full because you should be able to plan a trip without asking for a quote first.
Our rates, season by season
Rack rates, per person per night, full board.
Peak season
1 Jul – 31 Oct, 22 Dec – 5 Jan
High season
6 Jan – 28 Feb
Low season
1 Mar – 30 Jun, 1 Nov – 21 Dec
Mawe Tented Camp
Room type
Peak
High
Low
Single
$325
$273
$212
Double / Twin
$280
$247
$195
Triple
$247
$234
$182
Family Suite
$245
$235
$185
Baobab Tented Camp
Room type
Peak
High
Low
Single
$325
$275
$204
Double / Twin
$256
$218
$194
Triple
$246
$210
$182
Family Suite
$247
$215
$185
Karatu Tented Lodge
Room type
Peak
High
Low
Single
$143
$137
$120
Double / Twin
$144
$130
$118
Triple
$130
$126
$101
Family Suite
$130
$126
$103
Our two migration camps carry one rate across their season.
Property
Season
Single
Double / Twin
Triple
Family Suite
Gnu Mara River Camp
1 Jun – 15 Nov
$350
$286
$262
$265
Gnu Ndutu Camp
Late Dec – 31 Mar
$350
$286
$262
$265
Rates are per person, per night, sharing a tent. A couple in a double tent pays twice the listed rate for that tent.
Inclusions
What a rate at this level includes
Full board covers breakfast, lunch or a packed lunch box, and dinner. Wi-Fi in the main areas, VAT, government fees and parking are all included. Dietary requests are simple for our kitchens, so tell us when you book or when you arrive.
Why rates change between seasons
Peak season coincides with the dry months and the December holiday period. Most of our visitors come from Western Europe and North America, where school and annual holidays often fall during these periods. This is also when game viewing conditions are generally at their best, resulting in very high demand and most camps along the Northern Circuit operating at or near full capacity.
Low season corresponds mainly with the long rains from March to May. During this period, visitor numbers decline significantly, the parks are much quieter, and accommodation rates typically drop by around one-third compared with peak-season rates.
Low season corresponds mainly with the long rains from March to May. During this period, visitor numbers decline significantly, the parks are much quieter, and accommodation rates typically drop by around one-third compared with peak-season rates.
Our migration camps hold one rate because they only open when the herds are present. There is no low season at Kogatende in September, and there is no quiet week at Ndutu in February.
What Your Rate Includes, and What Park Fees Add
This is the part that surprises most first-time visitors, so we separate it clearly rather than folding it into a headline number.
Included in every Mawe rate
Full board meals, drinking water, Wi-Fi in the main areas, VAT and government fees related to accommodation.
Collected separately by the park authorities
Park entrance fees, concession fees, special campsite fees, and seasonal campsite fees. TANAPA collects these for the Serengeti and Tarangire. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority collects them for Ndutu, because Ndutu falls on the NCAA side of the boundary.
Drinks from the bar, activities such as balloon flights, walking safaris and night drives, transfers and gratuities also sit outside your room rate.
Why we quote park fees apart from the nightly rate
Because they are not ours. The park authorities set them, adjust them annually, and collect them directly. Quoting them separately means the rate you see from us is the rate we control, and it means you can check the official figures yourself.
Folding them in would make our nightly rate look higher than it is, and it would hide a cost that changes every July.
Inside the Gate
Staying Inside a National Park or Outside the Gate
Most safari accommodation in Tanzania is outside the park gates. A smaller number of us hold licences to operate inside, and that changes your first and last hour of daylight.
Cost runs the other way. Lodges outside the gate are cheaper, because you pay park fees only on the days you drive in.
B
Our Baobab Tented Camp has operated inside Tarangire since 2018. Read how staying inside the park changes a Tarangire day.
Where Our Safari Accommodation in Tanzania Is Located
Every property covers a different part of the Northern Circuit, and the drive times below are the ones that shape an itinerary.
Serengeti National Park
Three of our camps cover three regions of the park, which is why we can place you where the wildlife is in any month.
Mawe Tented Camp covers the central and central-eastern Serengeti, in the Soit Le Motonyi area near Seronera. Guests fly into Seronera Airstrip, with daily flights from Arusha, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, then reach camp on a game drive of thirty to forty-five minutes.
Gnu Mara River Camp covers the north, at Kogatende, five minutes from the Mara River. Kogatende Airstrip takes daily flights from Arusha, and the transfer is a game drive of about forty minutes.
Gnu Ndutu Camp covers the southern plains around Lake Ndutu, on the Ngorongoro side of the boundary. Ndutu Airstrip serves the camp. By road, Arusha is about five hours, the central Serengeti about two, and Ngorongoro about two.
Tarangire National Park
Baobab Tented Camp is inside the park, on the Lake Burunge wildlife corridor. Animals use that route daily between grazing and water, which is why elephants and giraffes pass camp so often.
Tarangire holds one of the highest elephant densities in Tanzania and more than five hundred recorded bird species. The park also permits night game drives, which most parks on the Northern Circuit do not.
Ngorongoro Crater and the Karatu highlands
Karatu Tented Lodge is fifteen minutes from Karatu town, on the Rift Valley escarpment above the farmland. From the lodge, Ngorongoro Crater takes thirty minutes, Lake Manyara forty-five, and Lake Eyasi about an hour.
That position makes it the practical base for anyone driving the Northern Circuit rather than flying it. Guests use it to break the journey between Tarangire and the Serengeti.
Lake Manyara and Lake Eyasi
Both are day trips from Karatu Tented Lodge. Manyara is known for its tree-climbing lions and the flamingos on the lake. Lake Eyasi is where you meet the Hadzabe and Datoga communities, and those visits leave early in the morning.
What Makes These Luxury Safari Camps in Tanzania
Small camps, eight to ten tents
None of our properties takes more than about thirty-five guests. The team learns your name within a day or two, and our reviews mention staff more often than facilities.
Full board dining and dietary requests
Breakfast covers fruit, breads, eggs and pancakes, with filter coffee served at sunrise. Dinner is three courses with a choice of dishes. If you are out for the whole day, the kitchen packs a breakfast or lunch box.
Vegetarian, vegan, halal and gluten-free requests are routine for our kitchens.
Our own guides and our own vehicles
We drive 4×4 vehicles with guides we employ. You do not need a separate tour operator to travel with us, and our team plans complete multi-day safaris across the Northern Circuit. One route can link all five properties.
Travelife Gold certification and what it covers
Mawe Lodges holds Travelife Gold certification, and we were among the first properties on mainland Tanzania to earn it. Solar power runs the camps. Drinking water comes filtered in refillable glass bottles, with no single-use plastic in camp. Most food comes from local suppliers, and we partner with TANAPA on conservation work.
Itineraries
How Many Camps to Combine, and How Many Nights at Each
Two nights per camp is the common booking. Three is usually the better answer, because the first afternoon and the last morning both go to travelling.
A five to seven night first safari
Tarangire, Karatu and the central Serengeti. Two nights at Baobab Tented Camp, one or two at Karatu Tented Lodge for Ngorongoro Crater, then two or three at Mawe Tented Camp.
A nine to ten night migration trip
Add a migration camp to the route above. Between July and October, that means Gnu Mara River Camp in the north. Between December and March, it means Gnu Ndutu Camp in the south.
Moving between camps by road or by air
Road travel shows you the country between the parks and costs less. Flying saves most of a day on the longer legs, particularly between the central and northern Serengeti.
Most guests combining the north with the centre fly. Most guests on a Tarangire and Ngorongoro route drive, and break the journey at Karatu.
Best Time to Stay, and Which Camp Suits Which Month
Months
What happens
Where to stay
Jan – Feb
Calving peaks on the southern plains
Gnu Ndutu Camp
Mar
Calving ends, long rains begin
Gnu Ndutu Camp, Mawe Tented Camp
Apr – May
Long rains, lowest rates, fewest vehicles
Mawe Tented Camp, Baobab, Karatu
Jun
Herds move north, Kogatende opens
Gnu Mara River Camp, Mawe Tented Camp
Jul – Oct
Dry season, river crossings, peak game viewing
Gnu Mara River Camp, Baobab, Mawe
Nov
Crossings end, herds drift south
Mawe Tented Camp, Baobab
Dec
Short rains, herds reach Ndutu
Gnu Ndutu Camp, Mawe Tented Camp
Booking Direct With a Safari Lodge Operator in Tanzania
We built Mawe Lodges in 2014 and opened our first camp the same year. The rest followed as we found the right positions.
Year
Property
2014
Mawe Lodges founded, Mawe Tented Camp opens
2015
Gnu Mara River Camp and Gnu Ndutu Camp open
2017
Karatu Tented Lodge opens
2018
Baobab Tented Camp opens
All five properties hold the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award for 2026. Mawe Tented Camp has over 310 reviews, Baobab Tented Camp over 140, and Gnu Mara River Camp over 120.
We hold Travelife Gold certification, we partner with TANAPA on conservation, and we have been nominated at the World Travel Awards. Our site runs in six languages, and our availability calendar is live.
Booking direct means you speak to the people who run the camp. Our reservations team answers within a day, usually sooner.
Booking lead times by season
For July to September in the north, book six to twelve months ahead. Tents at Gnu Mara River Camp sell out first.
For the calving season peak in late January and February, book six months ahead. For the year-round properties in low season, a few weeks is often enough.
How to enquire
Send us your dates and the number of travelling adults and children. We will reply with availability across all five properties and a full quote, including the park fees you will pay separately.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best luxury safari lodge in Tanzania?
There is no single answer, because the right property depends on your month. For fixed dates and reliable big cat sightings, the central Serengeti works in any season. For the Mara River crossings, you need a camp near Kogatende between July and October. For the calving season, you need Ndutu between December and March.
How much does a safari lodge in Tanzania cost per night?
Rates across the country vary widely. Ours run from $101 to $350 per person per night on full board, depending on the property, the room type and the season. Park entrance and concession fees are charged separately by the park authorities.
Do Tanzania safari lodge rates include park fees?
Ours do not, and most operators quote them separately. TANAPA collects park entrance, concession and campsite fees for the Serengeti and Tarangire. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority collects them for Ndutu. All fees are valid for twenty-four hours and are quoted exclusive of VAT.
Which Tanzania safari camps are open all year?
Mawe Tented Camp, Baobab Tented Camp and Karatu Tented Lodge operate year-round. Gnu Mara River Camp opens from 1 June to 15 November. Gnu Ndutu Camp opens from late December to 31 March.
Can children stay at your safari camps?
Yes. Every property has family accommodation, and Karatu Tented Lodge has a swimming pool. Tell us the ages of your children when you enquire, so we can advise on activities and on which property suits you. Four of our five properties are unfenced.
How far in advance should I book?
Six to twelve months for July to September, which is the busiest window on the Northern Circuit. Six months for the calving season peak in late January and February. Low season is far more flexible.
Can I book direct, or do I need a tour operator?
You can book direct with us. We are not only a collection of camps. Our team plans day trips and complete multi-day safaris across the Northern Circuit, using our own vehicles and our own guides. One route can link all five properties.
Which airport do I fly into?
Kilimanjaro International Airport serves most international arrivals, with Arusha Airport handling domestic flights to the park airstrips. From there, Seronera Airstrip serves the central Serengeti, Kogatende Airstrip serves the north, and Ndutu Airstrip serves the south.
Tanzania · Northern Circuit
Book your stay with Mawe Lodges
Our own lodges and camps, our own guides, our own 4×4 vehicles. One team from arrival to departure.
-
12+
years operating -
Own
lodges & camps -
Own
guides & 4×4 vehicles
